Punjab, Haryana CMs Meet on SYL Canal Dispute: Decades-Old Water Sharing Issue Discussed

• Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini met in Chandigarh to discuss the long-pending Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue.
• The SYL canal, conceptualized for sharing Ravi and Beas river waters, involves a 214 km canal, with 122 km in Punjab and 92 km in Haryana.
• Haryana completed its portion, but Punjab halted construction after starting in 1982, leading to a decades-long dispute.
• The Supreme Court has repeatedly directed both states to resolve the issue, ruling in Haryana's favor in 2002 and setting an April hearing.
• Punjab argues it has no surplus water and proposes a Yamuna Sutlej Link (YSL) canal, while Haryana demands its rightful share of river waters.

Why It Matters: Punjab and Haryana CMs met to address the SYL canal dispute, a complex water-sharing issue with a long history.